(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device and method for the surgical removal of tissue from the body and, more particularly, to a device and method for the removal of arteriosclerotic plaques occluding arteries.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prevalence and Etiology of Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among adult males in the United States. Several risk factors have been shown to be involved, including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, diabetes, stress, gender, heredity, and age. These factors, in combination, cause damage to the endothelium of blood vessels, the layer of cells lining the interior surface of these vessels. In an attempt to repair the damage to these cells and prevent further damage to the vessel, platelets aggregate at the point of damage, forming clots. These clots, composed of cholesterol and other molecules, gradually harden over time to form large, arteriosclerotic plaques. These plaques may continue to grow, eventually occluding the vessel. If the occlusion occurs in one of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart, the lack of blood results in a life-threatening condition known as cardiac ischemia and the patient may suffer a heart attack.
Prior Art for Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease
A variety of prior art methods and devices were used to restore adequate blood supply to the heart in cases of coronary artery blockage by arteriosclerosis. Replacement of the blocked artery(s) with veins from other regions of the body (coronary by-pass) has been routinely used to restore blood supply to cardiac tissues. Another method involves the introduction of expandable stents into the artery(s), thus holding the artery in an expanded state to and allowing adequate blood supply to the tissue. A third method is the physical removal of the arteriosclerotic plaques by endoscopy-based surgical devices.
However, these methods and devices to ameliorate vessel obstruction have several drawbacks associated with their use. Coronary by-pass procedures are expensive, high-risk, and invasive. In addition, scar tissue may require later surgical procedures to remove additional tissue and/or scar tissue to prevent further blocking and/or damage to the arteries.
Thus, there remains a need for a device to easily, safely, and inexpensively remove obstructing tissue from arteries and other areas of the body.
Titanium Dioxide Self-cleaning Glass
Fouling of glass by oils and other lipids is a problem in certain industries, for example, in analytical chemistry applications. A new technology for cleaning this glass has recently been developed that involves the incorporation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) within the glass. When this glass is irradiated with ultraviolet light, lipids and other hydrocarbons on the exterior surface of the glass spontaneously degrade into the volatile gases methane and ethane, thus leaving no residues on the glass. To date, no medical applications involving this technology are known. The photocatalyst may include photo-activated semiconductors such as Titanium Oxide; TiO2 (photo activation wavelength; not more than 388 nm), Tungsten Oxide; WO2 (photo activation wavelength; not more than 388 nm), Zinc Oxide; ZnO (photo activation wavelength; not more than 388 nm), Zinc Sulfide; ZnS (photo activation wavelength; not more than 344 nm) and Tin Oxide; SnO2 (photo activation wavelength; not more than 326 nm). In addition to these catalysts, other catalysts, such as PtTiO2, are known.
TiO2 may be preferably applied as the photocatalyst, considering that the activation power is very high, the catalyst is long-lived with high durability, and safety for human applications is certified, as TiO2 has been used safely for a long time in cosmetic and food applications.
The present invention is directed to a device and method for the surgical removal of tissue from the body.
The present invention is further directed to a method for the removal of tissues from the body by a photo-degradatory endoscope.
In particular, the device and method are directed to the removal of arteriosclerotic plaques that are occluding arteries through the use of a TiO2/glass photo-degradatory endoscope.
Thus, the present invention provides for a device and method to remove tissue, and more specifically arteriosclerotic plaques, from the body.
These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the drawings.